College Basketball Pressure Index: Teams, coaches in need of momentum

The college basketball season continues as fanbases across the country shift attention fully onto the hardwood. With more eyes on the team comes more pressure.

Each season there are new storylines which pop up surrounding various teams, coaches and players which will determine how fans view the outcome of the season. Some will overachieve, others will underperform under pressure.

This article focuses on those who have either underperformed to this point or look dangerously close to joining that category. Some might be on the hot seat, others just have a reputation to uphold.

Check out which teams and coaches are currently under the most pressure to have a big month leading up to March.

Juwan Howard

After winning Coach of the Year in 2021, things have slowly gone the wrong way for Juwan Howard and Michigan and now he is under pressure.

15 losses in the 2021-22 season were covered up by a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament, but a 16-loss season followed it up and ended in the NIT. Now, Michigan sits at 7-12, far off from the bubble.

Howard has also dealt with public controversy, starting with his sideline confrontation with the Wisconsin staff. Questions were also raised this season about an alleged confrontation with a Michigan staff member, although nothing came out of it.

All this leads to chatter outside the program about his ability to turn things back in a positive direction at his alma mater. A winning streak in the Big Ten might not be enough to flip their status on the bubble, but it could go a long way showing his bosses and fanbase that he can carry momentum into next season.

Eric Musselman

Arkansas is in an unprecedented position during the Eric Musselman era. They have slid completely off the bubble despite one of the best transfer portal classes in the country.

The talent Arkansas has this season has been completely overshadowed by the lack of chemistry on the floor. Musselman has publicly expressed his frustration multiple times and seems unsure whether he will find the right answers to break through.

After making two Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16 over the past three seasons, expectations are high for Eric Musselman each year. Preseason projections aside, he must figure out something in order to position the Razorbacks for a better offseason this time around.

What this season means for Musselman remains unclear. He is clearly not on the hot seat, but this result will lead to much debate around the program about the best way to build the 2024-25 roster.

Penny Hardaway

This Memphis roster appeared to be Penny Hardaway’s best work yet, with the Tigers surging through the non-conference schedule with a resume good enough to merit a Top 25 ranking and conversation as a Final Four dark-horse.

However, much of that has changed over the course of a week with two losses against inferior American Athletic Conference competition and mid-season roster fluctuation once again.

Hardaway has admitted that the pecking order of the roster has become an issue with several veteran stars believing they deserve more playing time, more touches, or more time on the floor.

It is not a position Memphis is unfamiliar with over recent years, and Hardaway has handled it well each time. However, this season has higher stakes.

With the belief this is his best roster comes the expectation of a deeper NCAA Tournament run. Without a turnaround he could miss the mark.

Texas

Texas opted to stick with interim head coach Rodney Terry after his impressive finish to the 2023-24 season to much praise from the fanbase, but now they sit firmly on the bubble.

Terry is likely not in the top five reasons for the current situation, with computer numbers and scheduling decisions at the top of the list, but recent comments on the “horns down” make him a target for national pundits.

The Longhorns now rank 44 in the NET rankings and 37 at KenPom after a pair of wins against Baylor and Oklahoma, but still have more to do in February and March after sitting in the 50s less than a week ago.

Pair that with a target on their back as the outgoing Big 12 team everyone wants to record one last win against and pressure is there.

To avoid those outside the program coming after the Longhorns, a strong Big 12 performance is necessary. By extension, that means Rodney Terry must prove himself with big wins in big games.

Gonzaga

Under Mark Few, Gonzaga has become a lock to appear in the NCAA Tournament. In the early days that meant a conference title, but more recently it meant a top-four seed.

This Gonzaga team looks different that past versions however, and the resume shows it. The Bulldogs simply have not beaten the best teams in the country often enough to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament.

They are currently 0-4 in Quad 1 opportunities and 2-1 in Quad 2 games.

St. Mary’s and San Francisco will not go away easily in the West Coast Conference race, with Santa Clara also showing its strength, making the proposition of an automatic bid less than a lock.

Outside of a dominant run starting very soon, including a game against Kentucky, Gonzaga could rely on a strong March to continue the streak. Will a close call be enough to spark changes in Spokane to prevent this from happening in the future? Whatever that means.

Louisville

Louisville has long been one of the best college basketball programs in the country, but not any longer. The Kenny Payne era has morale and computer numbers at an all-time low.

In December, reports surfaced that the Louisville athletic department was considering the future of the program under Payne, but nothing happened. National backflash followed.

Beyond questions about the results on the court, many off-court stories have led to widespread calls for a coaching change. As a Louisville legend, the situation is no-doubt awkward for Kenny Payne and everyone involved.

Public perception about a program is as important as ever in the age of the transfer portal, where the top players quickly narrow down the list of schools they will consider playing for next season. NIL is also an important factor, which is directly tied to how happy boosters feel about the future direction.

Mick Cronin

After surprising many by moving to the West Coast for the UCLA gig, Mick Cronin caught fire on the recruiting trail and on the court.

Three straight trips to the Sweet 16, including one Final Four run, had things on the right track for a long future in Los Angeles. However, after failing to land any top recruits or highly-touted transfer prospects, Cronin went to Europe to find the core of his 2023-24 team.

So far that decision has not paid off as they lack the trademarked Mick Cronin identity and struggle to find consistency on the way to an 8-11 start.

While he is certainly not on the hot seat now, Cronin will surely be a name floated around for top positions closer to home if he is able to right the ship. Whether turning that into a new job or an extension at UCLA, it puts pressure on his wallet.

Tom Izzo

It is difficult for a Hall of Fame coach like Tom Izzo to move too high up the Pressure Index, but his frustration with the state of college athletics alone will raise the temperature a bit.

Rants about the state of the transfer portal, NIL, officiating, analytics and more might not be new for Izzo, but they do raise more questions each time they come up.

In recent years, we have seen Hall of Fame coaches like Jay Wright, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and more walk away from the game. In at least one of the cases, the new era of college basketball and the stress it brings played a role.

How long will Izzo decide that the good outweighs the bad and remain on the sideline? Only time will tell. But for now he is going to keep doing things his way. He looks to have Michigan State back on track and wants to show how well his way works.